I've always gotten my canned tuna in water figuring it was healthier. But, now, I'm hearing there are good oils/fats in fish. Should I be getting my tuna in oil? 100% of the canned tuna I use is for tuna salad for tuna melts, if it makes any difference.
I'd stick with water. The oil in the can isn't fish oil, usually vegetable oil of some sort- so you wouldn't be adding healthy fish oils- just calories.
ETA- I stand corrected, I think? I just grabbed a pouch I accidentally bought with oil (I hate that). It's packed in sunflower oil and adds 100 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 6 grams polyunsaturated fat and 3 grams of monounsaturated fat (versus my water pack). It's 5 grams less in cholesteral (?) and 120 grams less in sodium. So yeah, I guess it would add some good fat, but I stay away from it myself.
Well according to Fitday.com, canned tuna in oil, 1 cup, has 289 calories. Canned tuna in water, 1 cup, has 160. So for me, there is no question about it. I would MUCH rather get those 130 calories else where. I eat tuna often, always in water.
I buy in water. Depending on the brand tuna packed in oil is in soybean, safflower, or olive oil. Soybean and Safflower oil aren't bad necessarily, but I don't consider them good either. If you must get oil packed look for the Italian kind packed in olive oil.
I agree with Rockinrobin, I wouldn't waste the calories on oil packed. I much rather get my healthy fats from peanut butter, other nuts, avocados, homemade salad dressing, etc.
I buy the water packed too, but it's a good question and one I've wondered too. Like most of you I'd rather get my good oils from other foods plus I take supplements too.
Once, the oil in a can of tuna was tuna oil.
Then, they offered for a higher price, tuna packed with water to reduce the calories.
Then, we realized the fish oil was good for us. So tuna packed in tuna oil disappeared. We pay to get the fish oil in capsules. Plus, since some oils are good for us, we can pay extra to get fish packed in other oil, but not fish oil.
The tuna packed in tuna oil had the best flavor. Packed in water is still the best deal from a calorie/calorie density perspective.
Last edited by WebRover; 04-19-2008 at 07:43 PM.
Reason: typo
Since we're talking about tuna, I wanted to give a couple tips that I like to use to reduce the fat in my tuna sandwiches. This tip will only work if you like pickles in your tuna. But, instead of using mayo, I add Claussen pickle juice and 1 Tbsp of reduced fat caesar salad dressing to the tuna to create the moistness instead of mayo. I also love onion, a pressed garlic clove and pepper, but all the extras are up to you. The pickle juice has very little calories and tastes so yummy......Hope you guys try it and like it as much as I do.
Since we're talking about tuna, I wanted to give a couple tips that I like to use to reduce the fat in my tuna sandwiches. This tip will only work if you like pickles in your tuna. But, instead of using mayo, I add Claussen pickle juice and 1 Tbsp of reduced fat caesar salad dressing to the tuna to create the moistness instead of mayo. I also love onion, a pressed garlic clove and pepper, but all the extras are up to you. The pickle juice has very little calories and tastes so yummy......Hope you guys try it and like it as much as I do.
Happy Eating
Could you send the recipe? You don't say how much pickle juice or how much tuna ... cuz it does sound good For the record, I buy my tuna in water as well.